Cyntellect

About Cyntellect

Cyntellect, Inc., founded in 1997, operated in the life sciences sector, specializing in technology for cell analysis, purification, and processing. The company's focus was on developing and commercializing products to support applications in life science research, biopharmaceutical production, stem cell research, and drug discovery. Cyntellect was a privately-held company based in San Diego, California.

The company's core technology utilized in situ, microplate-based cytometry, which allowed for the analysis and processing of cells with minimal sample manipulation. A key product was the Laser-Enabled Analysis and Processing (LEAP™) system, an automated workstation that combined high-speed optical imaging and laser-based manipulation of living cells. This system was designed to enable novel cell imaging, purification, and transfection, enhancing productivity in areas like functional genomics, proteomics, and cellular assays. For instance, the technology could be used for the functional cloning of immune cells, image-based cell purification, and delivering macromolecules like siRNA and proteins into cells. In 2010, Cyntellect launched a Stem Cell Colony Purification Application as part of its Stem Cell Manager suite for the LEAP workstation.

Cyntellect served a client base that included academic and commercial institutions in the life sciences. The company had established relationships with research organizations, such as the Institute for Systems Biology and Purdue University, which purchased and installed the LEAP system to advance their research capabilities. The business model centered on the sale of its proprietary instrumentation, like the LEAP system and related software applications and consumables, to these research-intensive organizations. Over its history, the company raised a total of $48.8 million in funding over 10 rounds, with its first reported funding round in April 2005. A significant Series D financing round in 2007, led by Third Security, LLC, provided $15.1 million to expand operations and accelerate product commercialization.

Dr. Fred Koller was a co-founder and served as the company's President and CEO, later transitioning to the role of Chief Technology Officer. In June 2010, Saiid Zarrabian was appointed President and CEO to lead the company's next growth phase. Ultimately, Cyntellect's journey concluded in 2012 when its important assets were acquired by Brooks Automation in February, and the company was formally dissolved in May of the same year.